After hearing Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan's budget proposal Wednesday night to cut out some of their heavy equipment, the Albany firefighters' union is responding with outrage at the plan. Time Warner Cable News reporter Geoff Redick has the story.

The heavy equipment in question is Ladder Truck 1. It is the closest ladder truck, geographically, to the Port of Albany.

Mayor Kathy Sheehan's budget would save $1.2 million by removing the Ladder No. 1 company from service. That means there would no longer be a crew dedicated to using that truck, and the ladder truck itself would no longer be in the South End.

It would be taken out of service, and used as a reserve" truck, a back-up if other trucks break down.

The mayor was boo'ed Wednesday night when she announced the plan. On Thursday, the union's displeasure continued.

"We want to be part of a solution, not part of the problem. We just believe it's important that everyone knows our job will be compromised if we remove a company from service," said Albany firefighters union president Bob Powers.

"The next ladder is not that much further away. When you think about the fact they deploy with lights and sirens and we have a piece of equipment that will remain in service there," said Mayor Sheehan.

That equipment Mayor Sheehan referred to is Engine 5. That truck would stay there and respond to calls as usual.

It has all the functionality of any firetruck except for the giant ladder. Of course, ladders are important in many fire fights, and as Bob Powers said: in this business, every second of response time counts.

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